Hidden in the Dark
by A Bean
Summary: Albus Severus Potter has a run in with the portraits of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape.


**Before anyone asks, yes, the actual password is Youngblo** **od, not Mudblood.**

 **One-shot, one chapter, won't go anywhere. Drabble fic.**

 **-FaR**

* * *

 _Brothers._

Albus Severus Potter stormed down the hallway, not watching where he was going, just wanting to go _away._ His brother, the Gryffindor, the best-house-of-them-all, James Sirius Potter, had teased him endlessly about being a Slytherin.

 _Being a Slytherin is okay,_ Albus consoled himself. _Slytherins are awesome._

He turned down a corner and headed toward the famous portrait of Wendlyn the Weird. He shouted the password at her- "Youngblood"- and entered his common room.

Albums had had his doubts about being a Slytherin when the Sorting Hat was placed on his head, but he ended up there anyway, and he was happy. He had even made a friend during the Feast- Scorpius Malfoy. They usually were inseparable. Tonight, though, Scorpius and Albus had to leave each other, because Albus had detention (again) for one of his brother's pranks. Wrong place, wrong time- as usual.

Sighing, he found Scorpius and plopped down next to him.

"How was it?" Scorpius asked calmly, his eyes never leaving his book.

"Terrible," Albus moaned, sprawling undignifiedly in his chair. "Had to do the trophy room _and_ cauldrons for Slughorn."

Scorpius tsked and went back to his book. They sat in silence for a minute before everyone in the common room looked up. One of the school's owls had flown in the owl shoot. It dropped a letter in Albus' lap and flew away.

"Ergh," Albus groaned, reading the letter. "Have to go up to McGonagall's office. See you later." He left his schoolbag there, knowing that Scorpius would take it upstairs for him when he went to bed.

He made his way up the hallways, and finally to the stone gargoyle that guarded the office.

After guessing every type of candy he knew, finally getting it on 'Reeses', he entered.

He sat in a chair before the desk, because Headmistress McGonagall wasn't there yet.

 _I'm only a first year, please don't hurt me,_ he imagined saying to Headmistress McGonagall. He laughed to himself, but was interrupted by a silky voice coming from his left.

"It makes sense that Potter's spawn would be in trouble," it said. Albus turned to find a portrait of a man clad in black, who looked like a human bat.

"I'm not in trouble," Albus said. "At least, I don't think I am. Headmistress McGonagall didn't say what I was coming here for."

The picture rolled his eyes.

"Now, now, Severus," another voice spoke, coming from directly above McGonagall's desk.

"What?" Albus and the man in black said at the same time. They looked at each other and then back at the other picture.

"We cannot judge unless we know why he's here," the older man continued, but was interrupted by the man in black again.

"Albus, he is Potter's spawn! Of course he is in trouble, taking on his father's role here!"

"Er..."

Both pictures turned to look at Albus.

"Is your name Albus?" He asked the picture of the old man. He nodded. "My name is Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore," he said.

Albus and Dumbledore lapsed into giggles.

"Two Albuses," the man in black said. "Oh, the world will collapse."

"What's your name again?" The real Albus asked the man in black.

"Severus Snape," he replied lazily.

"Really?" The real Albus asked.

"No, I'm just joking. My real name is FlufflePuff. Yes, really!"

Albus looked surprised, and stared at Severus rather uncomfortably until Severus snapped, "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Albus dismissed, "I just didn't realize, that's all."

"Realize what?" Severus asked.

"Well... it's just... you're the one I'm named after."

Snape was momentarily stunned. Dumbledore laughed. "You... were... What?"

"My full name is Albus Severus Potter," Albus said. "My father said he named me after the greatest headmasters he ever knew."

"I was not here long enough to ever gain the title of 'Headmaster'," Snape said. "It was your father's idea of a joke on me.

"When I was about to go to Hogwarts when I was eleven," Albus said, in what sounded a rather reluctant tone of voice, "I was afraid of going into Slytherin, because my brother James told me that's where all dark wizards go. My dad told me just before I got on the train, 'Albus Severus Potter, you were named after the two bravest headmasters of this school I have ever known, and one of them was a Slytherin.'

"So he thought that a man called Severus was brave, and he was one of the bravest men he ever knew. I was named after you-" Albus motioned to Dumbledore- "and you." He motioned to Snape.

Before Snape had a chance to reply, the door burst open and in strode McGonagall and Harry Potter himself. Harry caught sight of Albus and shook his head with a glare on his face. Albus didn't remember getting up, but he went back to his chair before the Headmistress' desk.

"Mr. Potter," McGonagall began. "We have evidence of you throwing dungbombs in the hallways fifteen minutes prior to right now. I believe that when I asked you to come to my office, I did not say to cause mischief! Your father is very disappointed in you."

"But-"

"Albus," Harry said in that tone of voice when you know your parents are angry, "Filch already has enough trouble! And you're the one son who always studies and never gets into trouble! What caused your change? Why would you throw dungbombs on Professor Slughorn?"

Albus looked nervously to the two portraits he had been talking with earlier. Strangely, Dumbledore seemed to have disappeared.

"Don't look to them for help," Harry said. "They won't. You will have serious consequences for this, Albus. Professor Slughorn is in the infirmary!"

"I di-"

"You are expected to be a role model for Lily!"

"It wasn-"

"And you have two witnesses!"

"The d-"

"Peeves saw you doing it, and I know we can't trust his word, but James saw you!"

"He's lyi-"

"This isn't something I would expect out of my son!"

"I wasn't even-"

"I'm disappointed."

"But dad, it wasn't even-"

Then Harry, sometimes still suffering from temper tantrums from his war, shouted at his poor son, " _THIS IS WHY YOU WERE SORTED INTO SLYTHERIN!"_

Albus was shocked. He said nothing.

His father stood up. "We're going home," he commanded and grabbed Albus by the arm. He was dragged helplessly towards the door until a voice stopped them.

"Potter," was all it said. Harry and Albus turned to see Snape looking at them.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I do believe," he drawled, "that I can also bear witness to where Albus was fifteen minutes ago."

Harry gave him a quizzical look but said nothing.

"As can I, my boy," another voice said, and Dumbledore slid back into his portrait with several others.

"Fifteen minutes ago, Albus Severus was here talking to us both," Snape said. "He was not out throwing dungbombs."

"I figured out his first name was my name," Dumbledore said. A person in the portrait with him spoke. "And I didn't see Albus anywhere in the west wing," she said. "I saw James."

The others in the portrait agreed with her.

"Did you really think that your docile Slytherin son would throw dungbombs at his own head of house?" Snape challenged.

"Well- no," Harry admitted, "but we had evidence."

"Two people, one who's voice doesn't even count, according to you," Dumbledore said. "We have six."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Harry said, finally conceding and looking at his son.

"Because- James- it's obvious you love him more- just cause he's a prankster like you- and he always- always gets away with _everything_ \- he could murder mum and get away with it- and I always get blamed for everything he does- and- it- it's _NOT FAIR!"_

And with a loud, sharp crack, Albus was gone.

Silence.

"Shit," Harry finally said.

"Potter," Snape's voice reached his ears before he turned to leave.

"Your son was conversing with me. When he found out my name, he told me... He told me that you said I was the bravest man you knew."

"Yeah," Harry said. "I did. And you still are."

"But I treated you like dirt," Snape said, trying to figure out why. "I didn't deserve that title."

"But you got it," he said. "You were a spy for Voldemort. You promised to protect me. You were a spy for Dumbledore. You died because you had killed Dumbledore- all part of the plan. You protected me and my friends from an angry werewolf- you put yourself first. And you loved my mother.

"That's enough to make anyone a hero. Sometimes, they're just hidden in the dark."

And he left.


End file.
